PERCIVAL PHILLIP’S STORY.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 September 1918, Page 1

PERCIVAL PHILLIP’S STORY.

[run press. association. —copyright'.] ANOTHER REPORT. LONDON, September 20. , Mr Percival Phillips writes:— The battle of tbe ridges, fought by Ibe Third and Fourth Armies, proved to be one of the most satisfying victories since the Bth August. A s the day wore on the enemy’s discouraged -troops began to wilt under steady British pressure. A. great German counter-attack at five o’clock was a complete failure, the Germans being broken.

Officers taken prisoner attributed our victory to a smoke screen, which blinded them. Others simply cursed their men wKo would not fight. The honours of the day were shared by battalions from all parts of Britain. The First Australian took Hargicourt and Villeret. The Fourth Australian Division took Yerguier. Both divisions went through to the Hindenburg outpost system, near the canal which they stormed. They held the canal in the greater part by nightfall.! They completed its occupation so far as concerns their front by fresh attacks just before midnight.

The Gormans opposite these two Australian divisions, held a series of wellfortified positions, with thre ( . divisions the! thirteenth and Fifth Bavarians and the 119th,

The Australians commenced to attack the front of the canal at eleven in the morning. They had to go over naked country, from one ridge to another, across a valley swept by machine guns and then through deep belts of wire. Before noon the Australians were through the wire. They fought their wav along the first trenches, on the northern half of the front. They were held up by a sunken road on the south but waited patiently until eleven at niglit and then attacked, clearing the road and going through to the remainder'of the Hindenburg outpost system. Tin’s last advance of tbe First and Fourth Australian Divisions has taken the British army into country where it has never yet hcen. In this region we now have complete observation along the canal over the country behind. English and Scottish troops on the ■Australian right had harder fighting in attacking over extremely difficult well-defended ground, between Pont in t and Holnon. At the same time the French attacked the Manchester redoubt, a historic mound which was defended to the last man on March 21st by tbe Manclicsters. The British losses were slight. Many battalions look twice as many prisoners as they had casualties. The spirit of thc German divisions generally was not good,